Because Therapy's Expensive

Our latest big project has been a lakehouse out in Athens, TX. While it's not 100% complete yet, we are so excited with how it turned out, we had to share. The homeowners gave us free reign to unleash our creativity and style, which of course makes us happier than a pig in mud. The original storyboard for the dining room had only a minor change when we found the amazing zebra artwork. Considering the location of the property has for real ZEBRAS roaming around, it just seemed appropriate. Then we happened upon these adorable zebra plates and well, that sealed the deal.

Since it is a vacation home, we didn't really need to have a ton of kitchen storage, so we chose to install the floating shelves on the long wall. The rustic wood shelves give a nice contrast to the concrete tile backsplash and sleek quartz counter tops. Kitchen cabinets are painted Bunglehouse Blue from Sherwin Williams, which when you look at the color online proves once again that you can't judge a color on the screen. We echoed the color in the rug under the dining room table to provide a bit of continuity.

The homeowner had two embroidered placemats that she bought on a recent vacation to Mexico and we framed those to go over the sink and on the floating shelves. It's such a fun, cheerful room. How can you not be happy here?

As you by now surely now, we are a huge fan of color. Lots of color, mix and match color. Textured color. Unexpected color. One of the reasons for that is the energy that color conveys. While we appreciate calm and serene neutrals, there is just something about the vibrancy and "happy pops" that a colorful room conveys. In the latest issue of 817 Home Magazine, Shauna talks about her design influences and how color plays such a huge part of her aesthetic. Shauna also believes that your house should be a reflection of your life, so she encourages clients to bring out treasures they have acquired from family or travel and incorporate them in to the decor of a room. When you surround yourself with favorite pieces, it just brings even more joy to a space. "I think everyone needs color. There's just something about a neutral backdrop and happy pops, especially if it's carried throughout a room." Read more here.

Mismatched chairs top a bold chevron rug in this happy dining room.

The neutral walls and rugs allow colorful chairs and stools to pop.

The found treasure of a suzani textile creates a focal point for this vibrant dining room.